Will NFL's New Kickoff Rules Be in Madden?

At the end of March, the NFL instituted new kickoff rules for the 2024-2025 NFL season. The new kickoff rules are a modified version of the rules we last saw in the XFL, and they’ll be instituted on a trial basis for this upcoming season. But will these new kickoff rules make it into the next Madden?

We don’t know what the new Madden will even be called yet (we’ve already had one version called Madden 25), but the Madden beta has generally started around the start of June. This means it’s a relatively tight window to get a somewhat sizable change into the game, which has led to some on the forums wondering if the new rules will be in place. Some think the rules won’t be in the beta but will be in the final release, and then others believe they will be in the final game but will come via a patch.

I’m of the belief that it may not make it into the beta but should be in the final game at release, but of course, that is just a guess on my part. The bigger question might be how much would it would bother you if the new rules did not make it into the game?

I would think both users and the NFL would be unhappy if the new rules did not make it into the game, but we have seen something similar happen before. MLB instituted new pitch clock and pickoff rules last year, and those did not make it into MLB The Show 23. Now, in that case, the rule changes officially happened in February and The Show released in March. EA has a bit more runway since their game won’t be out until August (presumably).

The big tweaks to get in here in terms of really putting pressure on the developers mostly come down to player positioning. Making it so you can’t surprise onside kick anymore or changing where touchbacks go should presumably be the easier fixes (with an exception here), but player positioning and making sure players react appropriately on kickoffs are the bigger issues.

Pursuit angles have never been a strong suit for Madden kickoffs, and in theory this actually simplifies it to some extent with players on both teams now just being separated by five yards, but it all depends on if the kickoff team players hold their angles or converge on the ball in such a way where it allows lots of big returns.

On top of that, the tricky part about the touchback update will be the new “landing zone” and making sure touchbacks are going to the right spot if the ball bounces within that specific area (inside the 20-yard line) before going into the end zone or out of bounds.

With that all being said, Madden does have bigger issues to try and get a handle on this year than the new kickoff rules, but you can join the conversation and dish on the topic if you want.